Pakalmazha is an engrossing family drama involving three generations, their deep bonds of affection, couples who had drifted apart , marital infidelity, the love that surmounts all obstacles , dastardly murders, clandestine relationships, youngsters who go astray, all evolving into a thrilling denouement that unravels a murder , mends some lives but leaves those of others irreparably ruined.

Shot in appropriate locales with film quality cinematography and editing that stays in step with the pace of the plot, the star-studded cast is headed by stalwarts from films such as Devan, Kaviyoor Ponnamma, G.K. Pillai, Shiju, Sreeja Chandran etc.

In the hope of reconciling his parents, Sankar Das and Padma, who have been estranged for many years, a young man Naveen invites his father to attend the sixtieth birthday celebrations of Muthassi, his maternal grandmother. The proud matriarch of an ancient family and the binding force of the family, Muthassi blames herself for her inability to heal the rift between her daughter Padma and her spouse. The family consists of Raghava Menon, who is content to leave all responsibilities in the capable hands of his wife ; their children Appan, Padma and Dr.Hari Narayanan. Appan, a fickle character with chameleon like changes in opinions and attitudes and his wife Rajalekshmi have become so alienated from each other, they have nothing in common but their children Sivani and teen age son Aravind , with marked leanings towards the darker sides of society.

On the day of the birthday, Sankar Das doesn’t exactly get a rousing welcome; Padma exits the scene quickly while Appan is vociferous in his disapproval . The atmosphere becomes worse when Hari joins the party accompanied by Sheela, a nurse in his clinic and daughter of a notorious Naxal. In the midst of this hullabaloo , the grandchildren go in search of Muthassi who hadn’t turned up for her birthday festivities, only to find that she had passed away without celebrating the most important milestone of her life. As each member pulls in a different direction, the ties of family so carefully woven by the Grandmother become loosened and cracks and fissures creep into relationships. Long months later, they return home to become one big family as in the old days; but in the interval skeletons had emerged from closets, disasters had struck and lives had been shattered…

An absorbing tale that stays firmly on the banks of the dramatic without slipping into the eddies of the sentimental and melodramatic, the serial does not have impossible twists that leaves one in a haze of bewilderment but credible plot development which is on the right side of the realistic.

The serial is written by P.F.Mathews whose very first attempt ‘Mikhayelinte Santhathikal’ , won critical acclaim . Shying away from the usual TV pulp, he crafts classy stories with depth and character and has written the script for Shaji N.Karun’s ‘ Kutty Shranku’ starring Mammootty that will be released in Cannes later this year.